Social media sites are becoming the go-to platform to find qualified talent. Recruiters can immediately scan not just a candidate’s profile, but his thoughts, ideas, work habits, and recreational preferences as well. Social media posts and photos do give the recruiter a complete image of his candidate’s personality, which is essential in determining if he is a fit for the company culture, aside from being qualified for the task. According to a 2015 study made by Recruiter Nation, 87 percent of the recruiters surveyed pointed to LinkedIn as their number one social media site of choice when it comes to discovering and engaging top talent. Facebook comes at a distant second at 55 percent, with Twitter trailing as number three at 47 percent.

The blogosphere is another virtual landscape ripe with top-tier candidates who global mobility professionals might want to mine. Professionals market themselves and their capabilities through their blogs. They publish content, show videos, and post their opinion on relevant topics to a community of followers who avidly await their next blog. Some bloggers have become virtual thought leaders or recognized influencers in the areas they are expert in, and command a high price should a recruiter approach.

Recruitment road tours might be seen as coming from left field but the more innovative global mobility professionals actually take a couple of weeks to take a trip around the country, dropping by selected business conferences, university job fairs, and networking events. A half hour of conversation over lunch or coffee can unveil the potential of a qualified candidate in a way that a more formal job interview may not.